Elf on the Shelf is a beloved holiday tradition, but why not make it educational and fun this year? With these hands-on activities, your little ones will enjoy the holiday magic while learning through play! These ideas are perfect for preschoolers and combine creativity, exploration, and holiday cheer.
NUMBERS AND COUNTING
Candy Canes Search and Count
Hide 20 candy canes around your kitchen in spots easily accessible to your child.
ELF NOTE: "Can you find the 20 candy canes I hid in the kitchen?"
Shape Matching Game
Create shapes from colored paper and set them around the elf.
ELF NOTE: "I was telling Santa how smart you are! Can you help me match the shapes? Can you name the shapes? Can you make patterns with the shapes?"
Check out these COLORFUL PUNCH-OUT SHAPES.
Candy Cane Jump
Create a huge candy cane on the floor with masking tape and red markers. Write a number on each red and white stripe. Say the numbers on the elf note. As you say them, have your child jump from number to number.
ELF NOTE: "This is a game we play at Santa's Workshop. It's called Candy Cane Jump. Read the numbers I wrote below and hop to the number. (Fill in numbers here.)"
Marshmallow Patterns
Create different patterns using marshmallows (e.g., white, white, red or red, white, red) and encourage your child to continue it.
ELF NOTE: "Oh no!! I didn't finish the patterns! Help me finish them."
Check out these different marshmallows:
Measuring with Elf
Set up your Elf to stand against the wall with a ruler next to them as if they are measuring their height. You can also use stacked blocks instead of a ruler. Set out several holiday items like candy canes or small ornaments for your child to measure. Use the ruler, blocks, or other stackable items to measure the items.
ELF NOTE: "How tall am I? Can you help me measure all of the holiday items?"
Check out these COUNTING CUBES.
SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
Sink or Float Experiment
Leave a bowl of water and small holiday-themed items (e.g., ornaments, jingle bells) for a hands-on experiment.
ELF NOTE: "We love playing sink or float at Santa's Workshop! What Christmas items do you think will sink or float?"
OPTIONAL WORKSHEET:
Magic Milk Experiment
Provide milk, food coloring, and dish soap. Pour milk into a dish. Drop food coloring around the milk. Dip a Q-Tip into the soap and stick it in the food coloring. Watch the food coloring move away from the dish soap.
ELF NOTE: "Want to do some magic?"
Melting Ice Challenge
Freeze a small toy or two in a block of ice and have your Elf ask your child to free it using salt or warm water.
ELF NOTE: "I borrowed some of your toys last night and on my way home from the North Pole, they froze. Can you help me unfreeze them?
Exploring Magnets
Have the help create a magnet wand. Set out holiday-themed items to test which objects are magnetic. Or, let your child explore around your house.
ELF NOTE: "This is my magical magnetic wand. Help me find items around your house that are magnetic. Bonus points if they are Christmas items."
Check out these MAGNETIC WANDS.
ART AND CREATIVITY
Holiday Playdough Fun
Set up your elf so that it is playing with red, green, and yellow playdough. Set out the remaining playdough for your child. Have your child create holiday shapes like stars or trees.
ELF NOTE: "I tried to make a Christmas tree with lights and a star. Can you help me make one?"
OPTIONAL WORKSHEET:
Ornament Painting
Leave small ornaments and paint supplies for a creative decorating activity.
ELF NOTE: "Let's make ornaments!"
Check out these Christmas ornament kits:
Handprint Christmas Trees
With your finger, make a Christmas tree by dotting your finger on a piece of paper. Use your finger because it looks like the elf's hand. You want it to look like the elf made the picture. You can also cut the paper to look like a small, elf-sized piece of paper.
ELF NOTE: "I tried to make a Christmas tree with my hands. Your little fingers look like the leaves on a Christmas tree! Let's see what your handprint Christmas tree will look like."
ACTIVITY IDEA:
Paper Chain Countdown
Have the Elf start a paper chain and invite your child to add a link each day leading up to Christmas.
ELF NOTE: "Can you help me finish the countdown to Christmas chain? It took me all night to do these four chains because I am so small."
OPTIONAL:
Elf’s Gingerbread Village
Have the elf bring gingerbread house kits or gingerbread house ingredients. Help your child build a gingerbread house.
ELF NOTE: "Look what I brought for you from the North Pole!"
LITERACY
Holiday Letter Match
Set up a matching game with uppercase and lowercase letter cards. Also set out small Christmas stickers for your child to decorate the flashcards with.
ELF NOTE: " These alphabet cards are too boring for Christmas time! Let's make them more festive and then we can play the matching game!"
OPTIONAL:
Christmas Letter Scavenger Hunt
Look at the scavenger hunt page. Write 15 random letters on 15 little pieces of paper and hide them next to a holiday item around your house. If you don't have an item, you can print a picture of it. Hide the letters with the Christmas items on the scavenger hunt. Have your child look for the Christmas item and then write the letter they find with that item, in the box on the scavenger hunt page.
ELF NOTE: "I hid letters with Christmas items around your house. Can you find all 15 letters?"
OPTIONAL WORKSHEET:
Elf Storytime
Prop your Elf up with a holiday book and invite your child to join him for storytime.
ELF NOTE: "This is my favorite Christmas book!"
Holiday Word Building
Set your Elf next to a tray with letter tiles (like Scrabble tiles, magnetic letters, or plastic letters) and a list of simple holiday-themed words (e.g., "tree," "star," "elf," "gift"). Leave a note encouraging your child to build the words with the tiles.
ELF NOTE: "I love Christmas! Let's spell Christmas words."
Santa’s Mailbox
Create a “mailbox” and encourage your child to write (or draw) a letter to Santa.
ELF NOTE: "I've been listening to the things you want for Christmas but just in case I forgot something, we should write a letter to Santa!"
OPTIONAL WORKSHEET:
MOVEMENT AND SENSORY
Snowball Toss Game
Have your elf set up cups and cotton balls for a fun toss game to develop hand-eye coordination. Compete against someone else and see who can get more cotton balls in the cup.
ELF NOTE: "Let's play this fun game! I couldn't bring real snowballs so I brought fake ones. I hope that's okay!"
Christmas Yoga
Place your Elf in a yoga pose and challenge your child to try simple moves like tree pose or downward dog.
ELF NOTE: "Let's do some yoga!"
OPTIONAL:
Holiday Sensory Bin
Fill a bin with rice or pom-poms and hide small holiday items (like bells or ornaments) for your child to find.
ELF NOTE: "I hid 6 bells and 5 ornaments. Can you find them?" Change the note as needed.
Check out this CHRISTMAS SENSORY BIN.
Elf Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course with tape, cushions, and chairs.
ELF NOTE: "Look at this obstacle course I made while you were sleeping. I was playing on it all night! Let's see how fast you can get through the obstacles."
Jingle Bell Shakers
Leave out bells and other Christmas items with clear jars for your child to make shakers. Sing holiday songs together while shaking to the beat.
PRETEND PLAY
Growing Candy Canes
Have the elf bring candy cane seeds (peppermints) for the children to plant. They can plant them outside or in a bowl of sugar. Have your child check back later to find candy canes growing!
ELF NOTE: "Let's grow candy canes! Plant these candy cane seeds in a bowl of sugar and in the morning they will grow into a candy cane!
MAKE LEARNING MAGICAL
These 25 Elf on the Shelf ideas are perfect for combining holiday magic with hands-on learning. Whether your child loves art, science, or counting, these activities will keep them engaged while creating joyful holiday memories.
What are your favorite Elf on the Shelf ideas? Share in the comments below!
Xx Jeni
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